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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 247: Diverging Paths (Part One)
The stars were sparse in the sky, and I could not recall how many days had passed or how many nights had come and gone. The scenery before me changed constantly, each day bringing something different. Only the north wind accompanied me, blowing from north of the Yangtze River to south, whitening the Northwest Plain, yellowing the Eight Hundred Li of Qin Chuan, and rippling the spring waters of Xianyang Lake.
Once a flourishing first stop on the Silk Road, it finally welcomed its first snowfall of the year, though this snow seemed rather lonely. The once-bustling Century Avenue had turned into a desolate wasteland, with wide roads covered by snow hiding abandoned vehicles. The bustling crowds had transformed into a silent procession; crystalline six-sided snowflakes cascaded from the sky, blanketing this city haunted by countless restless spirits in a layer of cold white. The city cried out in anguish, as wails echoed between towering buildings, penetrating through concrete walls and reverberating within open or tightly shut doors and windows, lingering long after.
Centuries ago, this place was nothing but yellow sand until the first person to tread upon it bestowed upon it an enduring legacy. Now, after years of glory and mediocrity, this city was on the brink of fading into obscurity once more, only to welcome new visitors.
A dusty Iveco minibus appeared in my line of sight, approaching swiftly with mud splattering everywhere. The weary minibus raced across the vast snowy expanse, leaving two deep tire tracks behind. It moved slowly without snow chains on its tires; its body was caked in mud, with clumps hanging from the edges of its fenders. As it rolled through the silent streets toward Century Avenue, its speed suddenly decreased as it reached the entrance and came to a gradual stop. Steam rose from the hood as snowflakes melted into droplets that trickled down.
The rear door swung open, and two figures of different sizes leaped out, joyfully running off into the distance. A girl followed closely behind them, calling out as her cheeks turned bright red from the cold; she couldn’t help but sneeze twice.
“Yin Nuo, put on your coat; don’t catch a chill,” said a graduate student who sniffed and hopped out of the vehicle holding a large red down jacket that he draped over her shoulders.
“It’s so cold,” Yin Nuo replied without hesitation, shivering as she put on the coat before retreating back into the bus.
“Don’t mind those two little brats; check how the road looks ahead. We might have to walk,” said Luci from the passenger seat as she opened her door with a creak and pointed toward the entrance of the avenue. “How far is it?”
“Less than thirty kilometers,” Xiao Wei at the driver’s seat replied while unfolding a map and grinning. “We’re almost there.”
“Don’t get out; it’s freezing,” said the graduate student as he rubbed his ears and hurried toward the entrance where a line of vehicles disappeared beneath layers of snow. From afar, it looked blindingly white, making it hard to discern whether there was any road left for travel.
“Take this,” Luci said as she pulled out a machete from inside the bus and tossed it to him. “Be careful.”
Coach waited in the middle of the road as the graduate student strode past, carrying a knife. Along the way, there were many mounds of snow, some of which seemed to tremble slightly; they were easy to miss if one didn't look closely. The graduate student was familiar with the route and approached one of the quivering snow mounds, striking it down with a knife. The blade sank into the snow, producing a sound like cracking bones. He pulled out the knife, revealing a string of dark, viscous substance clinging to the shiny steel blade, emitting a foul odor.
Xiao Wei turned off the car engine and lazily leaned back in his seat, dozing off. The cabin was filled with loud voices, while Ming Junwei sprawled across the last row, sleeping soundly.
"Wow, Brother Ming has really slept long," Xiao Wei remarked as he glanced back with a chuckle. "He must have started snoring since we left Lintong?"
"Pretty much; he hasn't woken up at all," Yin Nuo replied with a laugh as he walked over to tuck in Ming Junwei's blanket. The latter remained oblivious, his snoring continuing unabated.
"Awake or asleep, he looks the same; when he's asleep, it feels like he's awake," Luci sighed softly, a hint of melancholy flashing in her eyes. The smiles on Xiao Wei's and Yin Nuo's faces dimmed slightly as they shook their heads and fell silent.
After a while, the graduate student returned, panting heavily. Judging by his expression, it seemed that the road ahead was not looking good.
"We can't go on like this; we have to walk," he said as he wiped the blood off the knife blade with a handful of snow. "The traffic is terrible, and there's still some movement in the middle of the road. There should be quite a few zombies left."
"Well, there's no helping it; let's go," Xiao Wei had anticipated this outcome. He folded up the map and tucked it back into his pocket before calling out, "Wake up!"
The sleeper in the back row was disturbed and grumbled as he turned over. Before anyone could react, his loud snoring resumed. Yin Nuo could only smile wryly as he and Xiao Wei began packing up their gear in the cabin, ignoring Ming the Great Hero who was still snoozing away. Luci rolled her eyes and crawled from her seat into the back compartment to help them stuff clothes and blankets into their backpacks. Then she approached the back row and grabbed hold of the sleeper's ear.
"Get up!" Luci shouted close to her ear while twisting her earlobe firmly to pull her up.
"Hey hey hey..." someone cried out in pain while struggling but realized she couldn't break free. She had no choice but to sit up and plead for mercy: "I'm awake! I'm awake! Qianqian, please be gentle; you’re going to rip it off..."
"Go ahead and rip it off; it's just for show anyway," Luci said with an amused yet exasperated tone as she pretended to scold her.
"That won't do. Losing an eye is one thing, but losing an ear would ruin my looks," Ming Junwei mumbled vaguely, stretching comfortably and rubbing his left eye while yawning. He glanced out the window and asked in confusion, "Why aren't we leaving?"
"I thought you didn't care about anything," Luci huffed as she picked up the eye mask and handed it to him. "The road ahead is blocked, so we'll have to walk from here."
"How far do we have to go?" Ming Junwei blew off the dust from the eye mask and pulled the elastic band over his face. The mask was handmade by Yin Nuo, featuring a cute Hello Kitty design on a pink background, which contrasted hilariously with Ming Junwei's dark skin and stubble.
"About thirty kilometers, not too far. We'll switch vehicles after we get through this stretch," Luci said, stifling a laugh at his ridiculous eye mask. She reached out to adjust it slightly and added, "Get ready and eat something first; it's cold outside."
"It's snowing here too?" Ming Junwei lifted his sleeve to wipe the car window, looking out at the blanket of white snow. He sighed, "Why don't we just stay here and find a place to settle down?"
"Hurry up, stop dawdling," Luci rolled her eyes, tugging at his arm to push him out of the car. She teased, " Jiang He and the others are waiting for us. If you keep slacking off, they'll cancel your drink supply."
"Alright, alright, you're the boss now; I'll listen to you," Ming Junwei grinned as he smiled back at her. He raised the collar of his sweater, fished out a crumpled cigarette from his pocket, lit it up, and crossed his arms while watching a few people busy themselves around them.
Xiao Wei and the graduate students...
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